Shuttle for weft-replenishing looms



April 29, 1930. F E. ASHTON 1,756,622 I SHUTTLE FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Filed March 18, 1929 2. Sheets-Sheet 1 f/ o/rc/is 1455/0 April 29, 1930.

F. E. ASHTON SHUTTLE FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS File d March 18, 1929 2 sheet shee 2 JW/W flame ls 1495/00 4/ Patented Apr. 29, 1930 more STATES FFHCE FRANCIS E. ASHTON, OF CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO CROMPTON &

KNOWLES LOOMI WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS,

MASSACHUSETTS A CORPORATION OF SHUTTLE FOR WEFT-REPLENISHING LOOMS Application filed. March 18, 1929.

This invention relates to improvements in controlling devices for the weft in shuttles for weft replenishing looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide a means whereby the tension device of a shuttle may be relieved at the time of transfer to permit the withdrawing of the weft end through the eye of the shuttle.

At the time of transfer there usually remains in the eye of the shuttle a weft end extending from the bobbin in the shuttle out through the eye and along the front wall of the shuttle to the thread cutter. When the depleted bobbin is expelled from the shuttle it is desirable to pull this weft end out of the eye of the shuttle. In the case of very fine yarns such as natural or artificial silks it is customary in some shuttles to secure the proper tension by employing a pair of relatively movable friction pads which are urged yieldingly toward each other to engage the weft. Vi hen the yarn has a high twist it kinks upon cutting and presents knots to the tension pads the result of which is to break the weft and leave a portion in the shuttle eye. This end of filling is later likely to be drawn into the shed to form a thick place. It is an important object of my present invention to construct the shuttle in such a way that at the time of transfer the tension exerted by the friction pads will be relieved so as to ofier no resistance to the outgoing weft end.

It is a further object of my invention to couple the usual spring arms for holding the butts of the bobbins in automatic shuttles with the tension device so that as the depleted. bobbin moves out of the shuttle it will spread the spring arms and'the latter through intermediate mechanism will separate the tension pads. It is to be understood in this connection that the separation of the spring arms which hold the bobbin butt in position may be effected by the incoming as well as the outgoing bobbin.

It is a more specific object of my present invention to provide a shuttle of the selfthreading type having a system of levers interposed between the bobbin butt holding Serial No. 347,785.

spring arms and the weft tensioning' device in the eye.

V ith these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a portion of a weft replenishing mechanism as viewed from the center of the loom, showing the lay, shuttle and bobbins in section to illustrate the manner in which the outgoing and incoming bobbins are related during the act of'transfer,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a shuttle having my invention applied thereto,

4 3 is a rear elevation of the shuttle taken in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 2,

Fig. i is a view similar to a portion ofFig. 2 but showing the manner in which the spring arms which hold the bobbin in the shuttle separate to spread the tension pads at the time of transfer,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section on line 55 of Fig. 3, and p Fig. 6 is a vertical section on line 66 of Referring particularly .to Fig- 1 I have shown a loom frame 10' having a, weft replenishing mechanism 11 mounted thereon. A transferrer arm 12'is pivoted on a stud 13 fixed to the weft replenishingmechanism and there is operatively connected to said transferre-r arm a latch lt which is positioned for engagement with a dagger 15 on the lay L. A vertical control rod 16 is actuated bymechanism not shown to lift the latch 14: into operative position with respect to the dagger on transferring beats of the loom. The lay is provided with a box back 17 and a binder 1-8, and the shuttle S may be located between the box back and binder as usual. A bobbin B may be carried by the shuttle to be replaced thereof as shown in Fig. 2 a pair of spring arms which are preferably formed integrally with an anchoring portion which extends under a clip 21. Said arms are pro- 5 vided with grooves or vertical notches 22 4 but under ordinary weaving conditions said arms are held by their resilience in close holding engagement with the rings on the butt of the bobbin. r 7 The opposite end of the shuttle may be providedwith an eye E of any approved construction including a pair of pads and 31 the former of which may be fixed with re spect to the shuttle by means of a depending lug 32 extending into an opening 33 in the shuttle. The second pad 01 may have a rearwardly extending pin 34 which slides through a guide 35 secured in position in tie shuttle. A light compression spring 36 is interposed between the guide and the pad 31 and tends normallyto move the latter toward the pad 30 to assume substantially the position shown in Fig. 5. The tension pads are substantially the same as those used in certain types of known shuttles and form ent invention.

As previously stated, it is desirable at the time of transfer to relieve the tension exerted by the pads on the filling so that it may be withdrawn from the shuttle eye. Inaccomplishing this result I secure to the pin 34 a depending linger 40 which is spaced from the vertical wall 41 of a recess 42 formed in the rear wall of the shuttle. The finger is also spaced from the guide 35 and there is interposed between said finger and the guide an arm 43 of a lever 44 pivoted on a pin 45 driven into the rear wall 46 of the shuttle. The opposite end 47 of said lever engages arm 48 ofa second lever 49 pivoted on a pin 50 which is similar to pin 45.. The other arm 51 of the second lever 49 extends behindthe rear spring arm 20, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. Said levers 44 and 49-are located in a slot 52 extending horizontally in the rear wall of the shuttle. v

Under normal conditions the light compression spring 36 serves to move the end 43 of the lever 44 rearwardly, thereby moving forwardly the arm 47 and the latter by its connection with the lever 49 tends to'hold the armbl against the rear spring arm 20. The compression spring 36 is therefore seen to operate so as to hold the parts in contact with each other to prevent vibration.

At the time of transfer the outgoing bobbin will spread the arms 20 until they assume the position shown in Fig. 4, whereupon lever 49 no partof my preswill have a slight angular motion in a right hand direction around the pin 50 as viewed because of its engagement with the finger 40.

acts to withdraw the pad 31 against the action will thereupon assume the position shown in the left hand side of Fig. 4. i

It is to be understood that this operation occurs at the time the depleted bobbin is bein expelled from the shuttle and the weft end W can pass between the spaced pads 30 and 81 without being interfered with by the latter as said bobbin moves downwardly toward the can (not shown) located under the lay. When the incoming bobbin B is in position in the shuttle the spring arms 20 will return to their normal position, thus permitting the compression spring 36 to restore the :levers and pads to the normal position shown in Fig. 2.

I From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a very simple means for relievof spring 36 from the fixed pad 30. The pads ing the tension on the filling in shuttles of automatic looms by means actuated by the I transferring mechanism, preferably though not necessarily by the bobbinholding spring arms of the shuttle. While I have shown a particular form of'mechanism interposed between the shuttle holding spring arms and the tension yet I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction. It will also be seen that the separation of the pads is caused either wholly or in part by the movement of the bobbin the thread of which is to be freed by the pads. It will further be seen that the spring which acts normally to hold the pads inweft tensioning position act also to hold the levers in such a position that a slight act tov separate the tension pads.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modificatlons may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a weft replenishing mechanism having a lay, a shuttle carrying a bobbin, a trans ferrer device to expel a depleted bobbin from the shuttle, a pair of relatively movable friction elements in the shuttle operating normally to tension the weft drawn from the bobbin, a device in the shuttle to support the bobbin and capable ofmovement with respect to the shuttle under influence of the transferrer device at the time of transfer, and connections interposed between the tension mechanism and the bobbin supporting device operative at the time of transfer to render the tension mechanism temporarily inoperative to tension the weft.

2. In a weft replenishing mechanism having a lay, a shuttle carrying a bobbin, a transferrer device to expel a depleted bobbin from the shuttle, a tension mechanism between which extends the weft from the bobbin in the shuttle, means carried by the shuttle to hold the bobbin, said means being capable of movement with respect to the shuttle under influence of the transferrer device at the time of transfer, and means extending along one wall of the shuttle and connecting the tensioning mechanism and the bobbin holding means to render the tension mechanism temporarily ineffective to tension, the weft from the bobbin in the shuttle when the latter is being expelled.

3. In a weft replenishing mechanism having a lay, a shuttle carrying a bobbin, a transferrer device to expel a depleted bobbin from the shuttle, a weft tensioning mechanism at one end of the shuttle, bobbin supporting mechanism at the other end of the shuttle, and connections between said mechanisms operative under influence of the transferrer device at the time of transfer to transmit a force from the bobbin holding mechanism to the weft tensioning mechanism to render the latter temporarily ineffective to tension weft.

4. In a weft replenishing mechanism having a lay, a shuttle carrying a bobbin, a transferrer device to expel a depleted bobbin from the shuttle, weft tension mechanism including a pair of relatively movable memhere, at one end of the shuttle, bobbin supporting mechanism at the other end of the shuttle including a pair of elements which are relatively movable under influence of the transferrer device with respect to the shuttle at the time of transfer, and a'connection between one of the elements and one of the members to move the latter relatively to the other member to thread relieving position at the time of transfer so that the weft end extending from the expelled bobbin may move freely between said members.

5. In a weft replenishing loom, a lay having a slot therein to receive an expelled bobbin, a shuttle mounted on the lay, a bobbin in said shuttle, holding elements secured to but movable with respect to the shuttle to hold the bobbin in position. in the shuttle, transfer mechanism operative by the lay to expel the bobbin in the shuttle and cause movement of the elements with respect to the shuttle, weft tension mechanism carried by the shuttle to engage and resist movement ing a slot therein to receive an expelled bobbin, a shuttle mounted on the lay, a bobbin in said shuttle, holding elements secured to but movable with respect to the shuttle to hold the bobbin in position in the shuttle, transfer mechan sm. operative by the lay to expel the bobbin in the shuttle and cause movement of the elements with respect to the shuttle, weft tension mechanism comprising a pair of relatively movable members, and a connection between said device to move one of the members with respect to the other member at the time of transfer by a force derived from the transferrer mechanism and transmitted through one of the elements which iolds the bobbin as said element moves during the expulsion of the depleted bobbin from the shuttle.

7. In a weft replenishing mechanism having a lay, a shuttle carrying a bobbin, a transferrer device to expel a depleted bobbin from the shuttle, spring arms to hold the bobbin in position in the shuttle, said arms being capable of movement under influence of the transferrer device with respect to the shuttle, tension mechanism to engage the weft extending from the bobbin, and leverage engaging one of the arms and engaging also the tension mechanism, said leverage effective when the arm associated therewith moves with respect to the shuttle during the transfer of bobbins to render the tensioning mechanism temporarily ineffective to tension the weft, thereby freeing the weft extending from the expelled bobbin.

8. In a weft replenishing mechanism having a lay, a shuttle carrying a bobbin, a transferrer device to expel a depleted bobbin from the shuttle, a pair of relatively movable weft tensioning elements, yielding means tending normally to hold said elements toward each other to exert a tension on the weft, holding arms for the bobbin movable with respect to the shuttle under influence of the transferrer device at the time of transfer, and mechanism interposed between a tension element and a holding arm to transmit a force from the latter to said element to relieve tension on the weft at the time of transfer, the yielding device acting normally to hold said mechanism operatively related with respect to said bobbin holding arm.

9. In a weft replenishing mechanism having a lay, a shuttle carrying a bobbin, a transferrer device to expel a depleted bobbin from the shuttle, a pair of relatively movable weft tensioning elements, yielding means tending normally to hold said elements toward each other to exert a tension on the weft, holding arms for the bobbin movable with respect to the shuttle under influence of the transferrer device at the time of transfer, and mechanism interposed between a tension element and a holding arm to transmit a force from the latter to said element to relieve tension on the weft at the time of transfer, the yielding device acting normally to hold said mechanism operatively related with respect to saidbobbin holding arm, the transferrer device acting at the time of transfer to overpower the yielding device associated with the weft tensioning element 10. A shuttle for a weft replenishing loom, a spring arm carried by the shuttle to assist in holding a bobbin, said spring arm' being movable with respect to the shuttle, a weft tensioning device carried by the shuttle to exert tension on the weft drawn from the bobbin therein, and a connection between said holding arm and the tension deviceto move the latter to weft relieving position when the armnioves with respect to the shuttle.

11. A shuttle for a weft replenishing loom, yielding bobbin holding arms supported by the shuttle and movable with respect thereto, a pair of relatively movable tension pads supported by the shuttle and normally exerting tension on the weft drawn from the bobbin in the shuttle, one of said pads being 0;; movable with respect to the shuttle away from the other pad, and means interposed between one of the arms and the movable pad to move the latter to weft relieving position when said one of the arms moves with respect to the shuttle 12. A shuttle for a weft replenishing loom,

yielding bobbin holding arms supported by the shuttle and movable with respect thereto, a pair of relatively movable weft engaging tensioning pads supported by the shuttle, and means carried by the shuttle and engaging one arm and actuated by the latter when said one arm moves with respect to the shuttle to effect separation of the tensioning pads to relieve tension on the weft.

' 13. A shuttle for a weft replenishing loom,

yielding bobbin holding arms supported by the shuttle and movable with respect there- 7 to a pair of relatively movable weft engaging tensioning pads supported by the shuttle, means carried by the shuttle and engaging one arm and actuated by the latter when said one arm moves with respect to the shuttle to effect separation of the tensioning pads to relieve tension onthe weft, and yielding means tending normally to hold said tension pads toward each other, said yielding means acting to hold the means in operative relation with respect to one of the arms.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto af- [iXed my signature.

FRANCIS E. ASHTON. 

